Of the 173 people investigated, 13 had received adaptations
to their dwelling through their local government. Twenty-nine
people already lived in adapted housing such as service
flats, old people's homes, or nursing homes. The most common
adaptations were removal of thresholds and baths replaced
with showers. All people investigated reported considerable
benefits from the adaptations. The total cost of the adaptations
was Skr 346,400
Ever-increasing demands are placed on employees within the
health and care industries in respect of patient health
and safety. This report shows that both the frequency of
use and the benefits of prescribed aids are substantial.
For the comparatively small amount that the aids contribute
to the total cost of care and rehabilitation, it is shown
that the high degree of usage of the aids means a great
deal in the form of increased safety and independence. It
is important to continuously follow up and to document this
by good record keeping in the daily work routines. Prescriptions
of aids requires professional training which ought to be
promoted together with enhanced knowledge, clinical work
and research concerning 'aids for daily living'.
Approximately 30,000 people each year suffer from
strokes. This means that strokes are one of the most common
diseases among the older generation in Sweden, leading to
reduced functional abilities which may be temporary or permanent.
Strokes are caused by an eruption of blood vessels or a
blockage of an artery in the brain. The majority of people
suffering strokes are in excess of 75 years of age. As the
number of older people is increasing, so is the number of
people suffering strokes with 2-3 people per 1,000 inhabitants
affected in a typical year (1). This, in turn, leads to
a requirement of approximately 3-4 million care days per
year in Sweden.(2). The demands on a community with limited
resources to care for this large category of patients have
lead to an initiative to develop treatment forms that make
the care currently administered more effective. The objective
is also for the patient to retain as good a quality of life
as possible..
Background
In Sweden, the basic aim has been that as many people as
possible, with the best support available, should be able
to remain living in their home environment despite illness
and reduced functional abilities. To prescribe aids for
daily living and to adapt the person's abode are important
contributions both to compensate for a lost functional ability
and also to alleviate the handicap, i.e. the difference
between demand and ability in a given environment (3). For
older people with reduced functional abilities, the availability
of aids is of considerable importance especially as their
capacity is also often reduced due to the normal ageing
process. People with reduced functional abilities may have
their home adapted by means of a housing allowance, however
it is important that all homes have a basic standard suitable
for older people. It is also of importance that the (outdoor)
community environment is accessible to all. To build handicap-friendly
environments is to build so that as few people as possible
are restricted in using the environment.
For
further details of this study please contact Nordic Care
Services.
